Shark Cage Dives

Welcome! We invite you to jump onboard the MV Calypso Star II for an exciting day of adventure, education and a whole lot of fun! This once-in-a-lifetime experience of viewing Great White Sharks in their natural habitat will leave you with memories that will last long after your visit to Port Lincoln.

Our 1-day Shark Cage Diving Charters are an Australian first with Port Lincoln being the only place in the country where these charters are run. Ideal if you have limited time or a limited budget and best of all there’s… NO diver qualification or previous experience needed!

Fully Government Licensed & Eco Certified

Great White Sharks are an endangered and protected species in Australia. It’s vitally important that we continue to educate people about the species’ behaviour as well as the significance of their presence of in their ecosystem. At Calypso Star we’re proud of our involvement with the CSIRO and their Great White Shark Research. read more… It helps us better understand the movement patterns and habits of the magnificent Great White.

Calypso Star Charters are honoured to be fully licensed by the South Australian Department of Environment. We’re also permitted by the Fisheries Department to use berley (chum) to attract the Great White Sharks to our boat at the Neptune Islands Marine Park. Being permitted to berley provides you with the best possible chance of a shark sighting. Along with this license , we’re proud to be an Advanced Eco Certified Operator. Receiving this certification provides us with the recognition that we conduct our operations in a way that are environmentally conscious and sustainable whilst also providing an educational component.)

ITINERARY

6.15am – Pick up

Start the day with an optional transfer service for an additional $10 operating as follows:

If you are staying at the Port Lincoln Hotel please note that they provide their own transfer. Please confirm on check in that you are doing the dive to ensure they have you down for the transfer.

Transfers are also provided back to your accommodation at the end of the day.

6:30am – Arrive at Marina

Guests board at the Marina Hotel pontoon to the smell of hot coffee made fresh onboard. After an introduction and safety briefing from the skipper of the day, we throw off the ropes and set off for the Neptune Islands. Breakfast is served shortly after departure.

2½ to 3 hour cruise

Sit back, relax and enjoy your journey We’re often accompanied by pods of dolphins and even the odd whale, in season. During the trip, the friendly crew will provide you with information about the fishing industries, the ‘local area’ and the marine life. ‘Take in the spectacular coastal scenery of lower Spencer Gulf and the islands of Thorny Passage. In season, you can try your luck at catching a Southern Bluefin Tuna

9:30–10:00 am

On arrival at the Islands the skipper gets the boat up as close to the land as he can so you can get the best views and the best photos of the’New Zealand Fur Seal colony. The exact dive location for the day is chosen and it’s time to drop anchor. The ocean surrounding the Neptune Islands is crystal clear which makes for ideal viewing of the Great White Sharks.

You hit the water!

Groups enter our new spacious cage 6 at a time. This way you get some welcome human company and you still get plenty of room for prime shark viewing. Once the sharks arrive, each group will have the opportunity to spend about 45 minutes in the cage, face to face with the amazing Great White Shark. Please note that time in the cage can vary and will depend on shark activity and weather on the day.

Even when you’re not in the water, you don’t miss out — the action from the very spacious upper and lower decks is fantastic so make sure you keep your camera ready for that once-in-a-lifetime photo opportunity. We have our own cameras mounted on the shark cage so you can also sit in the comfort of our saloon and watch the underwater action live-streaming

As well as breakfast, we provide you with morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, plus coffee/tea and filtered water,all included. Soft drinks and bottled water are available for purchase onboard. MV Calypso Star II is a fully-licensed vessel so the bar is open on the way home for your convenience.

Return to the Marina

Due to the nature of the activity we cannot guarantee the exact time we will return to the Marina at the end of the day. The return is subject to weather conditions and shark activity. Every effort will be made on the day to give everyone the opportunity to sight sharks, even if this means staying on site for additional time. Generally we will return around 6pm but we have returned as late as 9pm. Guests are therefore required to stay a minimum of two nights in Port Lincoln, the night before and the night after the charter, to ensure you do not miss any flights.

Our No Shark Policy

Whilst every effort is made to attract the sharks to our boat, in nature there can be no guarantees. In the rare event that we don’t see any Great White Sharks, those people who have paid as divers will be offered to be refunded the $100 to take them back to being a spectator. Refunds are processed by the office on the day following the charter, except for on Saturday, it will be processed on Monday. All passengers will then be given a half price voucher, valid for the price of the product they are booked as, to return within a period of 12 months from the date of issue. If sharks are then sighted on the second trip, the upgrade of $100 is payable onboard on the day.

If no sharks are sighted on the second trip, the 3rd trip will be charged at $100 per person, to come onboard as a diver.